The boys got groomed today.....

[BarbV]

Ok, just to add to this story....I posted all those lovely butt pictures on my Photobucket. Somehow, my Photobucket and my Facebook got linked, and all those lovely photos ended up on my Facebook!

And my work associates and other non-dog friends are thinking that I've lost my mind because I've posted dog butt photos on Facebook! I was so embarrassed and received quite the ribbing at the office today.

Beware! Sometimes these sites change things and don't tell you. I caution you all to check your privacy settings periodically

 

[k9kreationz]

Ok, just to add to this story....I posted all those lovely butt pictures on my Photobucket. Somehow, my Photobucket and my Facebook got linked, and all those lovely photos ended up on my Facebook!

And my work associates and other non-dog friends are thinking that I've lost my mind because I've posted dog butt photos on Facebook! I was so embarrassed and received quite the ribbing at the office today.

Beware! Sometimes these sites change things and don't tell you. I caution you all to check your privacy settings periodically

Did you fix it then? I take it the issue was on FB's side? Not PB? I always check my privacy settings every so often. Yuck. I know it's a social network, but I'm not all that social, so stop trying to tell everyone my life, right!? I was wondering why you were posting them on there. lol.

 

[Emmasmom]

There are a lot of issues popping up on FB this week. I am beginning to wonder if their so-called better changes are just that.

 

[BarbV]

The boys got groomed by a real Sheltie groomer!

Well, going back over this thread, I was so happy with the feet and so unhappy with what the groomer did their butts.

So a couple of weeks ago, I brought the boys to a Sheltie breeder for grooming. Her first comment was: What happened to their butts? Yes, she noticed it right away even after 2-3 months that the fur had been shaved. She said it will probably take another 6 months for it go grow back. Grrr!

So a couple of notes on Sheltie grooming:

- yes, you can shave the poop chute, but nothing more. Razors should not come near Shelties in any other parts.

- to thin out the coats, use thinning shears and nothing else.

- I don't know what she did to the hocks, but even two weeks later they are fluffy and full, but not tangled or ragged. The previous groomer cut them right off. This groomer did some kind of scissoring/thinning technique that make them look full and trimmed.

Here's a couple of photos. The first is the latest grooming. He looks a little ragged because he's been rolling in the mud, so just focus on the legs. The second photo is the "generic' grooming that he got at the pet store - Taken same day. While I was happy with the feet at the generic grooming I was really unhappy with the legs and butt. But when I compare the two pictures, there is no question that the first picture is better. The difference is the natural look done with the hand scissors vs. the shaved look done by the razor.

All to say that when you go to the groomer, go with a written checklist of what you want. AND start learning how to do the rest yourself, unless you have a groomer that knows how to groom Shelties.

What do you all think?

 

[Lightplum]

Glad you found a "good" groomer! funny you didnt have to tell me which pic the "good" groomer did I could tell right away!

I'll tell you the secret with the hocks. Its how they are cut, They are done with really long scissors in one shot so since the hairs arent fighting each other with different cut lengths so they stay better!

 

[Caro]

That is a big difference and I love what she did with his rear/tail. That's exactly what I have been trying to tackle with Deska - the bubble butt look where its hard to tell where the tail starts and the rear ends. In a long dog it makes them look even longer. I love that she got that tapering effect - do you know how she did it?

 

[Diana]

I enjoy the fact that you posted doggie butt pictures. Buffy has some pictures of her bad haircut her on Sheltie Forums... it was kind of similar to yours. Over-eager butt-cutting. (Buffy was so embarrassed that I was taking pictures... she looks all depressed and sheepish in all of the pictures.)

Our groomer gets it right about 75% of the time. If I drop Buffy off I give very specific instructions. But I mean... it's just hair. It grows back. As long as she doesn't mess her up so you can see it for 6 months, I'm good. And I have to say, the groomer's does a MUCH better job on the nails than I ever do. Even Petsmart does better nails. I am just so paranoid about hurting her...

 

[BarbV]

I didn't see what she did, but I know she was very clear about NO RAZORS! No problem with the poop chute but nowhere else.

She was working with "damaged" goods because the last groomer had shaved their butts so much. The idea, I think, is to remove the undercoat through thinning/scissoring, but leave the guard hair intact.

Caro - I'm not sure how she was able to reshape his butt so much, but I think if we refer back to Barb Ross's book, we'd find the clue. Yes, Bacca is very long in body and sometimes appears almost sway-back. "Sculpting" seems to be the key.

Dian - you're right about the nails. I do them regularly myself, but never as aggressive as I should - another reason why I use groomers.

 

[Katherine]

Thanks for posting the photos. It's amazing what a difference the work on the feathering and hocks makes alone!

 

[AngelinaL]

Loved the picts Barb--thanks for sharing.

I have a friend who shows Samoyeds. I always admired the way she trimmed and brushed up the rear hock hair on her dogs. One afternoon at a show, she showed me how she sprayed texturizing spray on the hair, combed the hair all in one direction, used the thinning shears in an expert fashion, then took the slicker brush and combed them from the paw, upward. Those sammy hocks were a thing of beauty.

I've tried to emulate her technique, but somehow Haley's rear hocks don't stay as fluffy for very long.

Gotta luv a neatly trimmed foot and nicely groomed hock hair